Squad too thin? European comparison puts Bayern criticism into perspective | OneFootball

FC Bayern starts the new season with an unusually small squad. Under coach Vincent Kompany, the record champions' roster includes only 25 professionals – fewer than any other Bundesliga team. The question is: Is that enough for the triple burden of league, cup, and Champions League?

While clubs like VfB Stuttgart rely on a thick personnel base with 32 professionals, FC Bayern trusts in an extremely compact team. With 25 players, the German champion forms the bottom of the Bundesliga. For comparison: Clubs like Freiburg, Heidenheim, and Leverkusen also have at least 27 players.

This development is the result of a busy transfer summer. Shortly before the transfer deadline, the Munich club signed Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea for a loan fee of 16.5 million euros. Under certain conditions, the Senegalese could even be permanently signed for 65 million euros. At the same time, striker prodigy Jonah Kusi-Asare was loaned to Fulham – including purchase and buy-back options.

European comparison puts the numbers into perspective

Photo: IMAGO

But Bayern is not alone with its mini-squad. International heavyweights like Real Madrid and Arsenal also have similarly small rosters. FC Barcelona even registered only 22 players, Paris Saint-Germain has 24 professionals – and still became Champions League winners.

This shows: A compact squad does not necessarily have to be a disadvantage if the quality is high enough. And FC Bayern does not lack in that regard. With Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, Joshua Kimmich, and Manuel Neuer, a framework of world-class players remains available.

However, the offense is problematic. Currently, there are only eight players available for four positions – and among them are youngsters Lennart Karl (17) and Wisdom Mike (16) as well as the long-term injured Jamal Musiala. Effectively, Kompany has only five established offensive players in the squad.

The fact that Alphonso Davies (cruciate ligament tear) and Hiroki Ito are also only expected back towards the end of the first half of the season exacerbates the situation further. Until then, there remains a risk that absences could significantly weaken the squad.

On the positive side, the crucial games in the Champions League do not begin until February. By then, Davies, Ito, and Musiala should return, making the squad broader. If Bayern manages to get through the first half of the season without major injury concerns, they remain among the top favorites in Europe.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.